Changing the Future
by DiscoStu09
Summary: Post Chapter 514, Ichigo contemplates what Juhabach told him and seeks out answers. The mystery figure in Hueco Mundo is revealed along with the Royal Guards ambitious plan to defeat the Quincy. Now Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji have to travel to the past, back to when Rukia and Renji first enter the academy and they have to change the future. Ichigo X Rukia. Renji X ?. (Temp Hiatus!)
1. Isshin's Past

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

**As I said in the summary, this chapter is post 514 so if for some reason you haven't read the chapter yet, read it before reading this... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

**READ - At the end of each chapter, I will do a Q 'n' A for all those that wish to ask something about this story. Of course I won't give away spoilers but I will answer all questions as best a possible.  
**

**Chapter 1 – Isshin's Past is revealed.**

'_My son... Born in the darkness.' _

'_What did he mean by that?'_ Ichigo thought shocked after seeing both Juhabach and Haschwald disappear along with the large shadow. Rain continued to pour down as Ichigo's grip on his broken Zanpakutō.

'_Is he trying to tell me that he is my father?'_ Ichigo thought incredulously, _'What a load of shit! I already know who my old man is!'_

He tried to brush away the thought of Juhabach but found himself unable to get his voice out of his when he remembered something else he had said.

'_I see... __Sōsuke __Aizen... It must be some trick of his.'_

Ichigo frowned, that must have meant he talked to Aizen somehow. Aizen knew the secrets of his birth and now Ichigo knew that he would have to get all the information out of Aizen. He could get the information out of his dad, but he stood by what he said over 17 months ago.

'_If you didn't tell me until now, you must have had your reasons. And that's your problem, not mine. I wouldn't know how to start. I can't think of any way of asking that wouldn't mean traipsing all over your feelings and staining them with dirt. So I'll wait. Until you decide someday that you want to tell me, until you decide it's time for me to know. Until that time comes, you don't have to say a thing.'_

He made up his mind, he would talk to Aizen first before telling his father what he knew and he would then wait to see if his dad decided to tell him everything. He quickly reached out with his senses to see if the Quincy was still attacking but it seemed that they had vanished along with their leader. For a fleeting moment, Ichigo wondered why.

Deciding to stay in his torn up Bankai, Ichigo closed his eyes and tried to find Aizen's Reiatsu but was unable to sense it. Needing assistance, he grabbed the spot on his hip where the former 5th Captain had stabbed him in hope that there was some lingering Reiatsu there.

Fortune finally decided to smile on Ichigo as he felt Aizen's Reiatsu faintly and immediately headed off in that direction. He ignored all of the destruction around him, his thoughts all focused on discovering the secret of his birth. From what he gathered, from Juhabach's comments, his mother must have been a Quincy but he didn't think that was possible. If she had been, then she should have been able to defend herself against Grand Fisher.

It didn't take him long to reach the destroyed 1st Squad's barracks and he saw a large deep wide hole in the ground and he could feel the faint Reiatsu belonging to Aizen coming from deep within. He jumped down, using his Reiatsu to keep himself steady as he descended and after a few minutes finally hit the bottom.

It was a very dull room in a circular shape and had a total of 15 grey sliding doors however most signs on the doors said 'Vacant.'

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he found the door that said, 'Aizen Sōsuke' and he approached it and opened it, it seemed Juhabach didn't bother locking the door.

"Isn't this a surprise? You're the last person I expected to see, Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen said smoothly from his position on his chair. He was covered in black bands which secured him on the chair and completely suppressed his Reiatsu. The only part uncovered was his right eye, nose and mouth as he smiled pleasantly when Ichigo entered.

"I'm only here because I don't have many other options." Ichigo retorted, "And you are going to tell me what I want to know!"

"Of course, Ichigo-kun, I'm an open book. But first tell me how you were able to find me?" Aizen asked curiously.

"I followed your Reiatsu." Ichigo told him bluntly.

It was strange seeing Aizen looked surprised as he said, "Considering the bands around me block my Reiatsu that is hard to believe."

"It was a very faint signature and I only found it by comparing it the lingered Reiatsu where you stabbed me." Ichigo informed him.

"You can still feel some of my Reiatsu from that?" Aizen asked curiously.

Ichigo shrugged as to him it was no big deal, "I can sense the lingering Reiatsu on all of my former injuries."

"Fascinating." Aizen muttered, with his eye and mouth uncovered, it must have been able to release a small amount of his Reiatsu into the air. Ichigo interrupted his thoughts.

"You talked about my birth and how I was born from a human and something else before you were interrupted." Ichigo reminded him, "I want you to tell me everything."

Aizen smirked smugly, "I see... Very well Kurosaki, I will tell you everything I know. You're parents; Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki were a Shinigami and Quincy respectively."

"So my father is Isshin and not Juhabach?" Ichigo clarified in relief.

Aizen chuckled, "Did he tell you that? I honestly don't have a clue why, all I know for sure is, Isshin and Masaki are your parents."

Ichigo scowled, not showing how pleased he was by the information and asked, "I'm sure you must know more than that, considering how much you like to understand everything."

"You're correct." Aizen acknowledged, "All I've been able to discover is when Isshin was a Shinigami here in Soul Society. This fact is why I became intrigued by you in the first place especially after I discovered that Masaki was a Quincy. The records state... that Shiba Isshin, the founder of the Shiba clan was a Shinigami of Soul Society, 1000 years ago."

"1000 years ago?" Ichigo asked eyes wide, "Shiba? Founder? Dad was the leader of the Shiba clan? How is that possible?"

"You know the answer to one of those questions Kurosaki." Aizen informed him, "Don't you remember what I did to help you evolve in our battle?"

Ichigo blinked in confusion before he remembered what Aizen had destroyed in the Dangai, "The Kōtotsu."

"The only logically explanation is that your father was hit by that and sent 1,000 years forward in time and incredibly survived." Aizen answered, "Also what was intriguing is that your mother arrived in a similar manner 5 years later. It didn't take me long to figure out that she was a Quincy."

"How did you figure it out?"

"That isn't important." Aizen dismissed, "That is all I know, I kept an eye on them and 8 months after their arrival, you were born."

Ichigo remained silent as he absorbed everything Aizen said before his former enemy said, "Now I have a question for you Ichigo-kun."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "What might that be?"

"How did you lose against Juhabach? You should be stronger than him since you can become a transcendent."

"That power was just a onetime deal." Ichigo told him, "Ever since I got my powers back... I haven't been able to Hollowfy."

"Impossible..." Aizen muttered, "Your Hollow and Shinigami powers are forever linked, you can't have one without the other."

"My Shinigami powers were enhanced from my Fullbring which is Hollow in nature. So that just replaced my inner Hollow." Ichigo informed him.

"Fullbring?" Aizen asked, "The same power that the Hōgyoku activated in your large friend?"

"Pretty much."

Aizen's eye narrowed, "Again that is impossible. Fullbring is a human power; it can't replace your Hollow's power. Just how did you get your powers back?"

Ichigo didn't know why he was continuing to chat with Aizen, maybe it was because Urahara and his dad kept secrets and he knew that Aizen would tell him what they were. He explained how he got his powers back and then everything that had happened since he got trapped in that cage. When he finished he was startled when Aizen started chuckling.

"Now it makes sense." Aizen explained, "The reason why you can't Hollowfy is because, your own Shinigami powers haven't been awakened."

"What the hell are you on about?" Ichigo said annoyed, "I can use Bankai and everything."

"Can you?" Aizen asked curiously before looking at Ichigo's broken blade and with a smirk he said, "You've fought many opponents in the past that were far beyond your level and how many times has your sword broken?"

Ichigo scowled as he thought about what Aizen said, the only times his sword had broken was his first fight with Byakuya, in the battle against Kenpachi and when he clashed with the fused Tensa Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow. Against Byakuya he had been using Rukia's power, using his own against Kenpachi without the aid of Zangetsu and of course, he didn't have Zangetsu's power when he fought Zangetsu.

"Do you understand now Ichigo-kun?" Aizen asked, "Once again you're just using borrowed powers, I'm surprised that Urahara Kisuke didn't tell you. But then again, because he left that out, you were able to unlock your Quincy powers. But I don't think that would please you too much would it? Considering that if you had the level of power when you battled me, you could have defeated them."

"There is one thing that doesn't make sense to me." Ichigo said not answering any of Aizen's questions in his previous statement.

"If my powers weren't back, then how could I have defeated Kūgo Ginjo?"

"Oh?" Aizen asked interestedly, "So you encountered Ginjo did you? That is an easy one to answer. Do you know about Ginjo's past?"

Ichigo nodded, "He told me about the badge."

Aizen chuckled, "Is that all he told you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kūgo Ginjo, the first Substitute Shinigami, the first Shinigami/Hollow hybrid, and the first to ever transcend the Shinigami limits." Aizen told an astonished Ichigo, "Soul Society was terrified of his power, despite the fact that he had done nothing to betray them. So they created the Substitute Shinigami Badge to keep him under control, of course it didn't seal his power straight away. No over the years, it slowly sealed more and more of his power away subtly until the day that changed Kūgo Ginjo forever. His family was attacked by a Vasto Lorde and he was unable to defeat it. His whole family died and he would have as well until Juhabach interfered. He destroyed the Vasto Lorde and then revealed to Kūgo Ginjo the purpose of the badge by destroying it and Ginjo's full power returned. Kūgo Ginjo then joined the Quincy in order to get revenge on Soul Society, deeming them responsible for the loss of his family however even his transcendent power could stand up to Yamamoto's Bankai. The Captain Commander would only use his Bankai two more times after that fight; one was about 10 years after the fight with Kūgo Ginjo against Juhabach and the final time today."

Ichigo listened intently, he remembered during his battle with Ginjo how he tried to understand his point of view however he was unable to. Sure Soul Society had deceived him, but it hadn't caused any harm but now, if he had been in Ginjo's shoes, he wouldn't be so sure.

"If Ginjo lost, how did he survive?"

"In that time, with the war going on between Shinigami and Quincy, despite the law that Shinigami weren't allowed to kill humans, they made an exception for Quincy. Of course, back in those days the law didn't stop them sacrificing human's lives but that's a different story. Ginjo was still referred to as a human; so instead, they sealed his power making him human. They kept tabs on him in case something went wrong and he got his powers back, but somehow, Ginjo was able to hide from them."

"They sealed his power away?" Ichigo asked, "But Toshiro told me that he relinquished the position and disappeared."

Aizen chuckled in amusement, "That is probably what the Commander told Hitsugaya-kun. I assure you however that his powers were sealed and he sought a way to get them back. He believed that Fullbring was the key and after 10 years of researching he finally activated his own. Kūgo Ginjo then spent the next 1,000 years finding others that could use Fullbring, helping them obtain it before stealing it from them. It was all in vein though, taking others Fullbring only gave him a tiny boost to his Reiatsu and unfortunately for him, his Shinigami powers merged with his Fullbring powers. He was forever trapped in his human body once his Shinigami powers merged with his Fullbring."

"1,000 years?" Ichigo said incredulously, "If he was human again, shouldn't he have died a long time ago?"

"That isn't accurate Kurosaki Ichigo." Aizen enlightened him, "Despite his Shinigami powers being sealed, he was still half plus like you were when you lost your powers. Once he activated his Fullbring, the seal cracked and once he mastered his Fullbring completely, his Shinigami powers merged with it, giving him the long life."

"I see." Ichigo understood and he couldn't help but feel pity for Ginjo.

"It was because of Ginjo that I set my sights on you, Ichigo-kun." Aizen explained, "When I discovered that you were half Shinigami and half Quincy, I couldn't resist the chance to assist in your development. As much as I am loathed to admit it, but my knowledge when it came to activating your Quincy powers was lacking, so instead I just focused on your Shinigami and Hollow."

"Thanks I guess." Ichigo said dryly, "But why are you giving me this information so easily. Just for the record, I ain't releasing you."

"I never expected you to release me Kurosaki Ichigo as that would be a very idiotic thing to do." Aizen said, "The reason I am telling you, is because I want you to stop Juhabach. He risks destroying the balance between the two worlds and that isn't in my interests. I intend to kill the Soul King and rule and having the balance destroyed would be disastrous for my plans."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "You seem pretty confident that you are going to achieve it despite being strapped to that chair permanently."

Aizen chuckled in that smug way of his, "Don't worry about that Ichigo-kun, it is only a matter of time before I am free. I look forward to the day we engage in battle again."

Ichigo took that as a dismissal and exited the small chamber and closed the door back up. He then fell into the Jinzen position and attempted to talk to Zangetsu to see if he was there. However the moment he entered his Inner World, he found himself under water again and the skyscrapers were again replaced with Karakura town.

"Zangetsu! Old Man Zangetsu!" Ichigo shouted desperately, "Tensa Zangetsu! Hollow me!"

He received no answer however as he sighed miserably before willing himself out of his inner world. His eyes shot open and stood back up frowning heavily. He ascended back into the air and flew out of the large hole in the ground. He looked around at his surroundings after exiting the hole and landing back onto the ground, Seireitei had been completely destroyed. There wasn't a single building that was still standing and the place was littered with bodies of the Shinigami that were dead, or on the verge of death or unconscious.

He tried to sense Byakuya in hopes that he hadn't past on yet, but sadly, his Reiatsu had completely vanished. He had failed Byakuya, he wasn't able to protect Soul Society and to make matters worse, Juhabach wanted to force him to be on his side.

"I see I was too late." A voice suddenly said to the left of Ichigo causing him to spin round, and he saw Urahara, slightly beat up looking at the destruction of Soul Society sadly.

"Urahara-san, what the hell happened at your end?" Ichigo said angrily, "Why was the signal cut off?"

"I had some trouble at my end." Urahara told him honestly, "And I was saved by someone I didn't expect."

"Who?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Urahara gave Ichigo one of the most serious looks he had ever given him and told him, "The Commander of the Zero Division."

"Zero Division?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Yeah, the Royal Guard." Urahara muttered.

Ichigo scowled heavily however, he didn't really care what this Royal Guard was, and right now he had a bone to pick with Urahara.

"Were you ever going to mention that my Shinigami powers haven't fully returned yet?" Ichigo asked him angrily.

Urahara sighed, "So you know."

"Yes I know!" Ichigo shouted, "Now answer my question! When were you going to mention it?!"

Urahara shook his head, "I will explain later, but first look around Ichigo; don't we have more important things to worry about?"

"No!" Ichigo said fiercely, "I've seen all the destruction but I am sick of people knowing more about me than I do and you will explain now!"

Urahara remained silent for a moment before he sighed but before he could say anything, a voice from behind them spoke up, "It is okay, Urahara, I will explain everything to him now."

Both, Ichigo and Urahara, looked into the direction the voice came from to see Isshin standing there in the same uniform that he wore in the battle against Aizen. Urahara nodded and shunpoed away to see if he can help out Soul Society at all.

"So I hear you met Juhabach." Isshin said looking at his son carefully.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, he told me that I was his son, born in the darkness."

Isshin sighed, "I had hoped that you and Juhabach would never meet but I guess that was just a fool's hope."

"Who is he?" Ichigo question irritably, he wanted answers but wasn't sure if his dad would give them.

"Alright." Isshin answered, "You've been patient for the last 17 months, so I guess it is time to tell you everything."

"Alright." Ichigo's said his scowl lighting up slightly.

"But not here." Isshin informed him as he opened a Senkaimon, "Your friend Sado and Orihime-chan are here helping Soul Society out."

Ichigo nodded as he followed his father out, but before he entered the gateway, he hesitated for a moment. Rukia had just lost her brother and Renji had lost the man he respected, was it right for Ichigo to leave them like this?

"Come Ichigo." Isshin said, "You can't help them right now. The only thing you can do is come with me."

Ichigo nodded and followed his father.

**Karakura Town**

Ichigo had returned to his human body and cleaned himself up from all the blood that he had been covered in. He entered the kitchen to see his father back in his Gigai, sitting at the table and it was clear that he meant business. Thankfully it was a school day and Yuzu and Karin were still at school so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Okay Ichigo, are you ready to hear everything?"

Ichigo nodded as he sat at the opposite end of the table and waited for his father to explain.

Isshin suddenly smiled, "To be honest, you already know that basic idea of Masaki and I's relationship."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked puzzled.

Isshin rolled his eyes good naturally, "Shinigami and Quincy... Connect that with who your favourite Author is."

"Favourite Author?" Ichigo clarified with a frown before his eyes lit up, "William Shakespeare... Romeo and Juliet."

Isshin grinned and boasted, "It's obvious that Shakespeare had been inspired by us."

Ichigo sighed at his father's playful nature and reminded him, "Can we get back on track?"

Isshin blinked before getting serious again, "Oh yeah. It was 1,000 years ago and there was a war between Shinigami and Quincy. Back then, the Gotei 13 was just called 'Divisions' and majority of them were monsters, and they killed mercilessly. I killed plenty of Quincy's back in that time, I never enjoyed it but I knew the risk that they possessed to both the living world and the others. After a large battle, I was badly injured and for some reason, your mother found me and healed me. Masaki was a Quincy but she didn't like fighting, so she specialised in using the Reishi in the air to heal wounds. She also had a gift for defensive abilities and barriers. Talking to Masaki made me realise that despite the dangers the Quincy possessed, they were still people that were only defending themselves from Hollow. We became good friends despite the risks and from then on, whenever I fought against a Quincy, I only knocked them out. Eventually, I fell in love with her and I had a feeling that she felt the same way about me to."

Isshin stopped for a moment and sighed before asking his son, "Tell me Ichigo, do you remember how women were treated in the 1800's?"

"Not well." Ichigo said bluntly, they had many lessons on that in school.

Isshin nodded and then asked, "Now tell, how you think they were treated 1,000 years ago?"

Ichigo frowned and answered, "I can't even begin to imagine."

"It was terrible." Isshin said, "They were nothing more than slaves, there whole purpose was to serve their masters and sire heirs. Hell, the term 'rape' didn't even exist back then. Now your mother was Juhabach's daughter and since he was the 'King' of the Quincy, that meant she was royalty, so she was treated with respect. Basically, Juhabach's law was, every women but Masaki was an object and if they didn't treat her like they treated him, well their deaths wouldn't be painless. The Shinigami got wind of how Juhabach treated his daughter and managed to capture her however, in order to save Masaki, I betrayed the Shinigami."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, "You did that for mum?"

"Of course." Isshin said with a grin, "You must have got your rebellious streak towards Soul Society from me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Get back on with it."

"It wasn't long after I managed to get Masaki away from the Shinigami did she tell me that she loved me. The next few months were some of the most difficult in my life; I was on the run from both Quincy and Shinigami. Juhabach kept a closer eye on Masaki, making it hard for us to meet up but eventually Masaki fell pregnant with you Ichigo."

"What happened?" Ichigo insisted.

"During the months when I was on the run, I was taught the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō from Engetsu and had promised that I wouldn't use it unless I had no choice. Juhabach soon discovered that Masaki was pregnant and the kid that she was carrying was half Shinigami."

"Hang on." Ichigo interrupted, "Can a Shinigami get a human pregnant?"

Isshin nodded, "Of course, Gigai's were used back then as well. There were special Gigai's that made it so when you were inside of it, you were an artificial human and because of that, I was able to conceive with Masaki."

"Alright, I understand." Ichigo said which allowed Isshin to continue his story.

"Once he found out, he intended to kill her but Masaki was able to get me a message and we met up on the outskirts of the Quincy base. We entered the Dangai but unfortunately for us, Juhabach had discovered a way to enter the Dangai and I engaged him in battle. I had to resort to the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō in an attempt to defeat him however just as I unleashed the attack, the Kōtotsu appeared and the blast destroyed it. However in doing so, the explosion sent all three of us flying through time. Thanks to the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō hitting Juhabach at the same time as the Kōtotsu, it somehow caused him to fall into another dimension all together. I somehow found myself in Karakura town, roughly 1,000 years later where Urahara found me and gave me a Gigai that would help restore my Reiatsu. About 4 years later, your mother fell into Karakura town and she told me that she formed a barrier around us both that protected us from dying. However it was Masaki's version of the Letzt Stil and so she lost all of her powers and then the rest is history, you were born shortly after and a few years later, Yuzu and Karin were born. Since your mother had her Quincy power and I still had my Shinigami powers, you gained an enormous amount of Reiatsu whilst Karin and Yuzu's are very slowly developing. This is because, both our powers were gone when they were conceived and born." Isshin explained patiently to his son.

"So why didn't you tell me this?" Ichigo asked confused, "I'm not seeing a huge deal about keeping it a secret."

"Isn't it simple Ichigo?" Isshin asked with a sad smile, "Masaki didn't want this life for you; she wanted you to grow up and have a normal life. She made me promise not to tell you about our past and I tried to keep it for as long as possible, but now I had no other choice but to tell you."

"I get it." Ichigo said and he truly meant it, he knew just how important mum took promises and it wasn't something you could easily break.

"When did you get your powers back?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Isshin seemed thoughtful before answering, "As you know, the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho burns out your body and only a small portion of it accumulates in a single location inside of you. The Gigai that Urahara made me helped heal my body so it could be used to having Reiatsu again but it wasn't until the day Masaki died, did my body start regaining my powers. The turmoil of losing Masaki awakened it and for the next 6 years, my Reiatsu started replenishing. The day that Rukia entered your life, I was attacked by a Hollow and knocked unconscious. I woke up in my inner world and reunited with Engetsu. By the time I woke up, you had already received Shinigami powers so I allowed you to experience the life, so you could decide yourself if you wanted to be a part of it. I kept watch over you whilst you battled all of the Hollows and I could have interfered against Kuchiki Byakuya but I knew that you had to get rid of Rukia's power so you could begin to get your own."

Ichigo nodded, "Alright, I understand. So tell me, why didn't you or Urahara tell me that my Shinigami powers hadn't fully returned and how do I get it back?"

Isshin grinned, "We didn't tell you because we discovered that the Quincy had launched an assault on Hueco Mundo and it was a chance to get you to unlock your Quincy heritage. As for you to get your powers back, I've got an idea."

Ichigo grinned before it fell and he asked seriously, "So why does Juhabach want to capture me? I thought he would want me to be destroyed. He seemed in two minds when we fought."

Isshin frowned and told him honestly, "I believe that he has seen your strength and potential and since you are part Quincy, he is determined to have you on his side."

"That is never going to happen." Ichigo scoffed shaking his head.

"Now enough idle talk Ichigo, let's get Zangetsu back."

**You like it, Review it. Don't like it, don't read it. See areas that need improvement, Review it and tell me.**

**The next Chapter will focus on Soul Society and the damage that has been caused by the Quincy. The aftermath as the news that Yamamoto is dead and Rukia and Renji's reaction to Byakuya's death. Also I will explain why Ichigo didn't realise that Zangetsu hadn't appeared.**


	2. Byakuya's Final Farewell

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

**Chapter 2 – Byakuya's Final Farewell, Rukia's Despair**

**Flashback**

"_Are you sure that this is the path we should take?" Urahara asked the Commander of the Zero Division. He was currently sitting on a large boulder in Hueco Mundo looking over the data that he had received about the Quincy abilities._

"_If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be ordering it would I?" The commander said. He had a long think black beard, large lips and a huge nose not to mention he was bald, but the sheer power that radiated from him was frightening. _

"_But why those three?" Urahara asked sombrely, "I can understand why you chose __**him**__ to go, but he has had to do a lot in his time a Shinigami. Is it really necessary to add this to his troubles too?"_

"_Of course it is. He is incredibly vital for this mission, no matter what happens or how strong his companions get, it will eventually all fall onto him. As for the other two, doing what we are doing isn't as simple as just selecting the best candidates for the job. To send others back with him, they have to have a strong connection with him and those two have the strongest among the Gotei 13." The Commander explained to him._

_Urahara nodded in understanding, "So there is no other option is there?"_

_The Commander shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Juhabach's power on its own is frightening enough, but now that he has Yamamoto's Bankai, I'm afraid not even I might be able to defeat him."_

"_How is that possible?" Urahara questioned, "Weren't you the one that trained him?"_

_The Commander scoffed, "Yes, but he surpassed me and instead of coming with me to the Royal Realm, he remained in Soul Society. He figured that having the strongest on the front line would be better than having the strongest in the realm. Best to rid of the threats on the front line instead having to come down from the realm to end it."_

_Urahara chuckled lightly, "That sounds like him."_

"_I'm sure you can get everything prepared within the next few days?" The Commander asked._

_Urahara grinned waving his favourite fan in front of his face, "Of course."_

_The Commander grunted in acknowledgement, "Now I have one final thing to tell you and I'm sure that the remaining Gotei 13 are going to ask why we're doing this method, so listen carefully."_

_Urahara nodded and listened to what the Commander and by the end of it, Urahara had never been paler or more horrified._

**End of Flashback**

Now here he was just outside one of the few remaining 1st Division barracks and he could sense that some of the remaining Taicho were in there. As he entered he saw them looking at Kyōraku who was missing an eye and had to wear a black eye patch and Urahara had to admit, it looked pretty badass on him.

In the centre of the room on a cushion were the remains of Yamamoto's Zanpakutō and surrounding it was Toshiro, Soifon, Rose, Ukitake, Komamura, Kensei and Shinji.

It was Shinji who noticed Urahara enter first, "What brings you here Kisuke? Got any information about how to disable these medallions they have?"

"I'm afraid not." Urahara said, "These medallions are nothing like I have seen before, it will take me a while to figure them out."

"I see."

"Not only have we lost the Sou-Taicho, but Zaraki-Taicho and Kuchiki-Taicho are in critical condition. Not to mention that I along with Soifon-Taicho and Komamura-Taicho have lost our Bankai's and we have lost give or take half our Shinigami." Toshiro said, "Could it get any worse?"

"I'm afraid so." Urahara said gaining everyone's immediate attention, "While I was in Hueco Mundo, I ran into the Commander of the Zero Division."

"What?!" Ukitake said in disbelief, "Of all people, why was he there?"

"To give a mission to three individuals." Urahara said, "A mission that will save Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the Living World."

"What is this mission?" Soifon asked impatiently.

Komamura added in his query, "And which 3 members?"

Urahara sighed, "The mission is... Time travel."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow and said incredulously, "You're not serious? That can't be done."

"They're really going to do that?" Kyōraku asked surprised.

Urahara nodded, "I'm afraid so. You do know what this means don't you?"

"Can you explain in a way that we can all understand?!" Kensei demanded agitated.

"The Spirit King has the ability to reverse time and when I saw reverse time, I mean literally reverse time." Urahara explained, he was merely repeating what the Commander had told him when he had asked about it, "No alternate universes or anything like that, everything we have done will be literally undone."

"And which three are going?" The fox Taicho repeated.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji." Urahara told them bluntly.

Silence filled the room however; Kyōraku was quick to intervene before a large amount of objections filled the room. "Everyone remain silent! Urahara, can you explain why these 3 are the ones to go?"

The former banished scientist nodded, "He told me that it was essential that Kurosaki-san go because of his unique nature, with him being, Shinigami, Hollow, and a human with both Fullbring powers and Quincy powers."

Urahara quickly explained that Ichigo's mother was a Quincy and that he had just recently unlocked his Quincy heritage. He then informed them that the reason why Rukia and Renji had to go was because they had the strongest connection among the Gotei 13 but if they weren't able to come, then Ichigo would be forced to go alone.

"Hmm... Perhaps those two going with Ichigo-kun is not a bad idea. Then again we don't have much choice." Ukitake said.

"How do you figure that?" Soifon retorted.

"Isn't it simple?" Kyōraku asked lazily, "It would be pointless for both me and Ukitake to go since we have already hit the limits on our strength. Also it isn't just the memories that are sent back but the entire soul. Let me give you an example, if it was Toshiro that was sent back then his current soul would battle his soul in the past for complete control. However, it doesn't matter how strong your soul is now, if you're sent back, your current soul would lose because you no longer have your Zanpakutō's full strength inside of you. Even though the past you may not have achieved Bankai yet, it will still have the full Zanpakutō spirit within him. If your current soul loses, then you will forget everything from the future."

"That is correct." Urahara said surprised, "But how did you know all that?"

Kyōraku grinned sheepishly, "Yama-jii has been slowly teaching me every Zero Squad secret in case of his death. He explained to me all the details about time travelling but of course, he never anticipated things to become as bad as it is now."

"That means that Soifon-Taicho and Komamura-Taicho are both unable to go." Ukitake said deciding to get back on track.

"What about the Visored's?" Soifon questioned.

"That's no good." Shinji said, "Rose, Kensei and myself are close to our limits as well, and our Hollowfication is different from Ichigo's. His Hollow powers are natural whilst ours are more artificial."

"What do you mean?" Komamura asked, "Isn't all Hollowfication the same?"

Shinji shook his head, "I'm afraid not. Ichigo's inner hollow's strength developed along with his own. However with us, we were already near our limits and once we gained control over our Hollows, we have been unable to increase its power."

"In 100 years, our Hollow masks have stayed the same." Rose inputted, "Unlike Ichigo-kun whose mask changed in just over a month and that's because like his own power, it still had room to evolve."

"We can't get anything more out of our Hollows." Kensei declared, "Going back in time and training would be pointless, even if we had another 100 years, we wouldn't be much stronger than we are now."

"Unlike Rukia-Fukutaicho and Abarai-fukutaicho." Ukitake said with a smile, "They both still have much more improvement in them and they can use this opportunity to get much stronger. Abarai-fukutaicho will get the chance to master his new Bankai form along with getting more proficient with Kido. Kuchiki-fukutaicho will also have the chance to learn and master Bankai and I know that she is very close to materialising already."

"How far back are they going?" Rose suddenly asked, "You haven't mentioned that yet."

"To the day Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji enter the academy." Urahara answered, "This will give them roughly 40 years to prepare."

"Wait a minute." Komamura said, "How is Kurosaki Ichigo going to go back that far when he wasn't even born yet?"

"You don't have to worry about that!" Urahara said cheerfully, "Since he is the key component in this mission, the Spirit King is going to send his complete soul back as it is now and he will appear alongside Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san. When his counterpart is conceived in his mother's womb, the baby version of him will not be born, so in other words, Masaki will have a miscarriage. There can't be two Kurosaki-sans at the same time."

"There is one small problem you seem to be forgetting." A silky voice said from the entrance.

"Ah if it isn't Mayuri-san." Urahara said to his former subordinate.

"Urahara." Mayuri spat, "In case you've forgotten, Abarai's Bankai is forever broken and now the Substitute Shinigami's Bankai is broken."

"It's true that Abarai-Fukutaicho's Bankai is damaged, but he has begun to work out a way to repair it." Ukitake said, "Some Bankai's do have the ability to change forms. The Bankai he originally had may perhaps be just the basic version and as he gets stronger, it evolves."

"You don't have to worry about Kurosaki-san's Bankai either." Urahara explained before looking sheepish, "I kind of didn't tell you the truth about restoring Kurosaki-san's Shinigami powers."

"What do you mean, Kisuke?" Shinji demanded.

"His powers haven't fully returned." Urahara told them, "Right now he is just using borrowed power like he did with Kuchiki-san's power."

"But then how is he able to use Bankai?" Toshiro asked confused.

"Because he has the memory of it." Urahara explained, "He has the memory of what his Shikai was capable of and how his Bankai worked. So the Reiatsu he was given instinctively obeyed his memories. In his memory, whenever he says the name of his Getsuga Tensho, the attack was much stronger and so his Reiatsu reacts in a similar manner. I kept this from you all and Kurosaki-san so he may have a chance to awaken his Quincy powers and so far that seems to be a success but, I never anticipated the costs."

Kyōraku just waved his apologies away, "It doesn't matter that much. None of us could have predicted what happened in the last few hours. Do you know a way for him to get his own power back?"

Urahara shook his head and cheerfully said, "Don't have a clue. His father does though."

"Still isn't this still just a bit extreme to do, surely there must be another reason that the Zero Division is making us do this instead of fighting." Soifon said urgently.

"I don't think you truly understand the damage that they inflicted." Urahara stated with a frown, "Not only is half of Soul Society's forces were wiped out, the Quincy has taken over Hueco Mundo and so at any moment, they can destroy the balance of the worlds."

They all fell silent at Urahara's words; it seemed that going back in time might be there only option.

"There is another reason." Urahara said, "The Quincy is just the tip of the iceberg. You see..."

**4****th**** Squad Barracks**

Rukia began to stir catching the attention of Renji whom had been sitting on a chair next to her bed waiting for his oldest friend to wake.

"You're finally awake Rukia?" Renji asked hesitantly.

"Renji..." Rukia muttered as she forced her eyes open and sat up slowly, "What happened?"

It was then suddenly the memory of her brother's Reiatsu decreasing sharply entered her mind, "Where is Nii-sama? Is he okay?!"

Renji looked away sadly, trying to not look her in the eye but she seemed to get her answer from his expression. Desperately she tore away the blanket that covered her and jumped out of the best, ignoring the pain that came from her back and demanded, "Where is Nii-sama, Renji!?"

Renji sighed and stood up, "Follow me; I will take you to him."

In another room, Unohana sighed as she finished operating on Byakuya as best as she could but unfortunately the chances of him surviving were slim at best. Also even if he did heal, he would never be a Shinigami again, as his Zanpakutō had been completely destroyed along with his ability to use Reiatsu.

As long as he remained unconscious for the next few weeks and allowed her to heal him, then he should live, but if he wakes up at all, then he further shortens his life span.

"Unohana-Taicho." A voice spoke weakly once that she was familiar with and this is the last thing she wanted to happen. She quickly spun around towards Byakuya's bed and saw that he had one eye open.

"No talking." The medical Taicho told him sternly, "I need to put you back to sleep immediately or otherwise you're going to lose all the energy you have left and there will be nothing I can do to save you."

"N-no." Byakuya declined softly, "Renji and Rukia... Are they okay?"

"They are healed and will make a full recovery."

"I n-need t-to talk to t-them."

Unohana sighed in annoyance and declined his request, "I'm afraid not Kuchiki-Taicho... You need to get back to sleep so I can heal you. If you don't... You. Will. Die."

"I don't care." Byakuya scoffed weakly, "I have already accepted that I am going to die. The only reason I am hanging on right now is because I need to talk to Rukia and Renji."

Unohana glanced away before relenting, she had given him a warning and he decided to ignore it. One of the hardest things about being a healer was when the patient decided they want to die instead of being healed; it went against everything she stood for. But she would respect his choice.

"Very well, you won't have to wait long. I can sense them approaching."

Not even a minute later, Rukia burst through the door frantically with Renji trailing her.

"Nii-sama!"

Byakuya smiled slightly and lifted his right arm which was closest to them, "Rukia... Renji."

Rukia grasped his hand gently afraid that it would hurt him even more if she held it too hard. Her eyes shone with unshed tears seeing her brother in this terrible state, the worst she had seen before now had been when Aizen revealed his true intentions on Sōkyoku Hill.

Renji stood slightly behind her as he looked sorrowfully at the man he admired and desired to surpass.

"It's good to see that you're both alright." Byakuya said with some relief, "But for now I need you both to listen to what I have to say."

Renji shook his head, "It can wait Taicho. You need to get healed first."

"No, I'm afraid that this is the end of the line for me." Byakuya informed the two most important people in his life, "I need to tell you this."

"No Nii-sama... You can't die!" Rukia said fiercely unable to hold back her tears now, "Unohana-Taicho can heal you."

Unohana looked on the conversation sadly; it was far too late now to save Byakuya. He had spent far too much energy for her to restore his Reiatsu and repair his wounds at the same time. Usually she would refill the Reiatsu of her patient so that their own body could also help the recovery process. However now with Byakuya unable to utilise his Reiatsu, it was impossible for her to use Reiatsu to heal his wounds and that is the only way she knew how to heal.

If only she knew a way to physically heal all of his wounds without injecting him with Reiatsu, then there was a chance that he could be saved.

'_When Inoue was healing me a few minutes ago, my robes didn't get repaired at all. Usually my robes come back without a problem, but this time they didn't. When I asked her why, she said that healing wounds takes a lot less time than actually repairing Reiatsu.'_

Unohana's eyes widened when she remembered what Kurosaki Ichigo had told her about Inoue's abilities. Currently the human girl was in the 4th Division helping heal some of the injured, perhaps she could heal Byakuya.

"I'm afraid there is nothing Unohana-Taicho can do for me now." Byakuya told his sister bluntly.

"He is right Kuchiki-fukutaicho." Unohana told the girl sadly causing the girls tears to become sobs, "However perhaps Inoue Orihime can heal him."

"That's a brilliant idea, Unohana-Taicho." Renji said with a large grin, "Inoue-san can heal almost anything."

Rukia ceased sobbing and wiped away her tears, yes Inoue could heal her brother.

For a moment Byakuya was tempted to accept being healed by Inoue Orihime but he remembered something that his grandfather had once told him.

**Flashback**

"_Your parents died honourably Byakuya. You should be proud of them." Kuchiki Ginrei told his grandson who was currently crying in front of his parent's tombstone._

"_H-how can I be proud that they're dead?!" Byakuya shouted sobbing as he slammed his fists down on the ground in grief. _

"_You will understand when you're older my grandson." Ginrei told him, "Still let me ask you something, when it is your moment to die, will you die honourably or will you beg for your life? Will you accept the shame of your defeat or will you cast away your pride in order to stay alive?"_

_With that, Ginrei left his grandson to mourn and mull over his words._

**End of Flashback**

"No." Byakuya said surprising the others, "I don't want to be healed."

"What are you saying Taicho?" Renji asked incredulously.

"I was unable to defeat them enemy that had attacked Soul Society, I let many valuable soldiers die... Causing the suffering of their friends and family and you expect me to somehow live after this." Byakuya said in shame, "Even if I am healed, my powers will be gone, I won't be able to protect Soul Society. It is best that I embrace death proudly instead of living shamefully."

"But maybe Inoue-san can restore your powers." Renji told him hopefully.

"Was she able to restore Kurosaki Ichigo's?" Byakuya asked and was met with silence, "So if she couldn't heal his, what makes you think that she can heal mine?"

No one answered, as tears once again began to fall down Rukia's eyes and even Renji's eyes began to water as the realisation on what was about to happen settled upon them.

Byakuya suddenly began coughing up blood gaining even more worry from Rukia and Renji whilst Unohana was resigned to the fact that in moments he would be gone.

The head of the Kuchiki clan's breathing began to get heavier as he mustered up the last remaining strength he had, it was crucial that he told them both this.

"Rukia... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that it took me so long to start being a real brother to you. I had you join that clan in order to fulfil my promise to Hisana however I also thought of you as Hisana's sister and not my own. With that in my mind and with how you looked a lot like Hisana, it was too painful for me to talk to you or see you let alone bond with you as a brother like I should have done. After Kaien-Fukutaicho's death, I had no idea how to comfort you and not willing to try and push past my own pain, I left you on your own to suffer. After years of indecision I finally tried to bring you some comfort and so I promoted you Renji, to be my Fukutaicho."

Byakuya was forced to stop for a moment to regain his composure, "However I had to wait until you were ready for the responsibility and that took another few years before I could promote you. I knew of your friendship with Rukia and the reasons why you felt that you couldn't talk to her. If I had told you that you could still be friends with her, I didn't believe that you would truly believe that and I knew that the only way that you would reforge your friendship with her was for you to gain a certain ranking. Then of course came the execution, believe it or not, but I tried everything politically to get you off Rukia but unfortunately they all failed and so I was resigned to obeying the law.

I learnt two things from that experience and they were; your strength Renji and that Rukia was no longer just Hisana's sister. I finally realised, that you were also my sister. So I swore from then on, if I couldn't protect you by obeying the law, then I would break it to protect you."

Byakuya then focused his attention onto Renji as Rukia had fallen into deep sobbing, "Although you have never been able to beat me in battle yet Renji, when we fought on the day of Rukia's execution, I discovered your true power."

"My true power?" Renji asked confused, trying to restrain his emotions from consuming hearing his mentor's words.

"Your true strength is your heart, Renji." Byakuya answered, "Your heart has far surpassed my own and I truly believe that it will give you the power to defeat anyone. Continue following it and no doubt you will become stronger than I ever was. In the event of my death, I have left instructions for the other Taicho... Renji, I have recommended you to take over my position and become the 6th Division's Taicho."

Renji could no longer restrain his emotion and allowed the tears to fall from his eyes, he could hear the pride and trust in his Taicho's voice and it was too much for him to hold.

"Do you accept, Renji?"

"O-of course I do Taicho." Renji answered sorrowfully, "I would much prefer to keep on being your Fukutaicho, but I will not dishonour your request."

"T-thank you, Renji." Byakuya said gratefully, he was close now and he just had one more thing to say.

"Rukia... these last 17 months have been the best in my life since Hisana passed away. Thank you for giving my life a real meaning once again. With my passing, I want you to take up the mantle of being the 29th Kuchiki clan head. I'm sure there will be some disgruntled clan members, but I have a left a set of instructions in the bottom draw of my desk in my office. With it, you will have no trouble knocking back all objections from the council members. Should I meet Hisana again, is there anything you would like me to say to her for you?"

Rukia struggled to answer pass her sobs but in a few moments she was able to control her tears and told him, "That I forgive her and that I have never hated her. I also wish that someday I could meet her."

"Very well." Byakuya said before looking at both of them one last time, "I... love you both. You were like the brother I have never had Renji and you Rukia... You're the most precious person in my life. Goodbye."

With that Byakuya closed his eyes for the final time, the last thing he saw were Rukia and Renji's faces. Just as he was about to finally give in to the darkness, a small smile formed on his face and his final thought was, _'I understand grandfather. I haven't died an honourable death... Yet I haven't died shamefully either... No, this death is most fitting and most desirable.'_

The moment he finished thinking that thought, Kuchiki Byakuya was no more. He didn't die like he had believed he would, he had let down many people with his defeat however, talking with Renji and Rukia once last time wiped away all the shame he had felt. Seeing the two people he cared about most one last time, could he ask for any more?

Rukia felt her brother's hand lose all life and it slipped out of her hand as she cried harder than she had ever done in her life.

"NII-SAMA!" Rukia yelled in despair and collapsed to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself trying to create some comfort for herself but it was futile.

Unohana bowed her head sadly and left the room quietly and allowed the two Shinigami alone time to grieve.

Renji had succumbed to silent tears but held firm, right now, Rukia needed him to be strong. He could grieve himself in private but right now, his oldest friend needed him. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and it seemed to spark something in her as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She latched on to her oldest friend, her other brother and drew strength and comfort from his body.

It just wasn't fair... the last 17 months had been amazing to her. Initially she thought with Ichigo losing his powers, it would dampen her spirits similar to when Kaien was killed but thankfully Byakuya didn't allow that to happen. It was slow progressing at first, but soon he opened up more to her, took part in her training and even allowed her to be promoted to Fukutaicho. He believed in her ability and then in his greatest acknowledgment, he gave her a fingerless white tekkou that were very similar to Byakuya's. She had been told that members of the Kuchiki clan that wore the tekkou were considered important members of the clan and the most respected. He had even told her stories about Hisana and their relationship became so comfortable that she cut her hair knowing that their bond had transcendent her looking like Hisana.

And now he was gone, she would never get to hear his voice again. She wouldn't get to spar with him again, there was so much that she still wanted to do with him, but she would never get that chance. She would then spend the next few hours not moving from her oldest friend's embrace and mourned her brother's death.

**Kurosaki Residents**

"Okay Ichigo, get into the Jinzen position." Isshin ordered his son. Both of them were in the living room and they had rearranged some of the furniture enabling a large amount of space in the centre of the room.

Ichigo sat down, still amazingly in his Bankai state, and crossed his legs before placing his broken Zanpakutō on his lap.

"I've already tried this." Ichigo informed his father, "But neither Zangetsu nor my Hollow was there."

Isshin nodded, "I figured as much, you will need to go into your inner world and literally find them yourself."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Only you can answer that Ichigo." Isshin said with a frown, "Oh and also, anything that happened during the time when you trained in the Dangai has been reversed."

Ichigo frowned, so that meant that both Zangetsu and his Hollow were in their separate forms. He sighed and closed his eyes and focused on his mind on his Inner World. It was time to reunite with his soul.

**You like it, Review it. Don't like it, don't read it. See areas that need improvement, Review it and tell me.**

**I hope that you all enjoyed how Byakuya met his end, and I will be most grateful for all of your opinion on how I handled it.**

**The next chapter it will mainly be focused on Ichigo reclaiming his powers but I elaborate on the differences between Ichigo's Hollow and the Visored's.**

**And just what is this threat that has Urahara so spooked? And how is it worse than the Quincy?**

**Answering the Readers:**

_**Q: **__is he going to use his Quincy powers or are they going to mix with Zangetsu?_

_**A: **__Shinigami, Hollow, Fullbring, Quincy... Ichigo will need to utilize all of them for his potential to be truly realised. Whether he achieves it or not is another question._

_**C: **__I was hoping to hear more from Isshin, his opinion on Rukia and Ichigo's involvement and such._

_**R:**__ Isshin's role is nowhere near over yet. He still has plenty more to tell Ichigo._

_**Q: **__N__ow when Ichigo get his soul reaper power will his inner hollow return as well? If so will his feelings toward Ichigo have changed any?_

_**A:**__ Yes as Aizen said, his Shinigami and Hollow powers are connected; they can't exist without the other. As for his Hollow's feelings toward Ichigo... maybe._

_**Q:**__ What will happen to it once Ichigo reawakens Zangetsu? Will it merge with Zangetsu and his power?_

_**A:**__ Yes, when he gained the use of Fullbring, the power increase Ichigo got from it added to his Shinigami/Hollow Powers, making them stronger. All Ginjo did was take away the ability for Ichigo to use his Fullbring in his human body._

_**Q:**__ Will Ichigo be able to use the abilities of the Gotei 13 since he absorbed their Reiatsu from the sword that restored his powers?_

_**A:**__ No because they just lent him their Reiatsu to awaken his own but Ginjo taking his Fullbring on the other hand was different. When Ichigo fought Tsukishima, Tsukishima mentioned that his Shinigami powers and Fullbring powers were starting to merge after Ichigo attacked him with Getsuga Tensho. So when Ginjo stole his Fullbring, he also gained the ability to use Getsuga Tensho since it had been incorporated into Ichigo's Fullbring. Besides, Ichigo is strong enough, and giving him all of the Gotei 13's power would make him way to powerful._

_**Q:**__ In this story, Aizen said that FGT Ichigo should be able to defeat Juhabach, but what about Juhabach wielding Zanka no Tachi (Yamamoto's Bankai)? In this story, Aizen mentioned that Yamamoto defeated transcendental Ginjo using his Bankai._

_**A:**__ Excellent, I'm glad you asked this question. To answer, Aizen simply didn't know that Yamamoto had his Bankai stolen. He knew that Yamamoto had activated it due to the lack of moisture in the air, but he didn't realise it had been stolen. Not only do the bindings around him prevent him from being sensed and using his own Reiatsu, he can't sense other people's Reiatsu either. And of course Ichigo didn't arrive until after Yamamoto was already dead, so he didn't know about it either. As you would have read in this chapter, Juhabach has become far too dangerous thanks to stealing Yamamoto's Bankai that even the Royal Guard are worried._


	3. Regaining his Soul (Part 1 of 3)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach**

**Just to clear some things up, I don't know the 100% meanings of Shikai and Bankai so if anyone could clear that up for me I would really appreciate it. So far my understanding is that there meanings are;**

**Shikai = Initial Release**

**Bankai = Full Release**

**This is the term that I came up with in this chapter for the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho; I got the translation from the internet so I don't know if it is the correct term. If anyone knows it's wrong and they know the correct translation, please tell me;**

**Kinshikai = Forbidden Release**

**Chapter 3 – Regaining his Soul (Part 1 of 3)**

Ichigo's opened his eyes and found himself in his inner world and was currently sitting on the roof of the largest building in Karakura town. He stood up, taking a quick look at his surroundings and was glad to see that despite his inner world still in the form of Karakura town, at least it was no longer underwater. However he was concerned when he noticed that he was standing on the roof of the building and not on the side. He walked over to the edge and attempted to walk along the side of the building but to his shock he fell straight to the ground.

"That hurt." Ichigo groaned as he stood back up, "Why is the gravity in my inner world the right way up now?" His eyes narrowed as he thought of the implications, "I don't like this."

Using Shunpo, Ichigo suddenly appeared at his school and he wondered if it was possible to enter the building. He entered the school with interest and began looking around to see if he could see any sign of Zangetsu or his Hollow but saw no sign of them. Still, if he was able to get into the school, that meant he could enter any building he wanted.

He walked up the stairs onto the roof of the school where he and his friends would usually eat lunch and began to contemplate just how to find his Zanpakutō spirit. He figured it would be pointless to search random buildings, they had to be in a place that he had a strong connection to. But the question was where?

He began to think of the main places that he had the strongest connection to; the most obvious one would be his home. His school which he had just checked he considered one and he guessed the other place would be Urahara's.

He nodded; it was at Urahara's where he first unlocked his own Shinigami powers and it was where he first learnt Zangetsu's name. In only a few short bursts of Shunpo he arrived just outside of Urahara's shop and slowly entered. The shop was completely empty but he didn't pay it any mind and immediately found the trap door that revealed the ladder to the underground training room. The second he landed on the rocky terrain, his Bankai robes suddenly reverted back to the attire that he wore whilst in his old Shikai however they were plain white. Not only that, but his broken Zanpakutō began to disintegrate leaving him weapon less. However for some reason he still had his substitute badge but didn't pay it any mind.

"What the hell?" Ichigo muttered confused before he realised where he had seen this uniform from, Rukia had worn a similar robe when she gave him her powers.

He quickly looked around to see if he could see any sign of Zangetsu but saw nothing but the usual rocky plains, large mountains and boulders, the large hole in the ground whe-wait, what?

Ichigo focused his attention on hit and quickly jogged over to it, this was the shattered shaft, the place that Urahara had chucked him down in order for him to gain his Shinigami powers. He looked down the carefully and his eyes widened when he saw a handle of a sword sticking out the ground. He quickly jumped down and landed slightly off balance due to him not currently having any power and took a closer look at the handle. The handle and pummel were exactly the same as the sword he had used when he had Rukia's power.

He grabbed it with both hands and gave it a sharp tug but he underestimated just how stuck the sword was. His grip was too loose and his hands slipped off the handle causing him to stumble back harshly.

"Damn." Ichigo muttered, "I'm glad anyone didn't see that. I can just imagine Urahara-san's reaction."

He attempted to pull the sword out again, this time he held on tightly and pulled as hard as he could but it didn't budge an inch. Sweat began to descend from his face and his breathing got heavier, but no matter how much he pulled, it wouldn't shift.

"I won't give up!" He growled still tugging on the sword, "I need my powers back!"

His mind flashed to Yuzu and Karin, according to dad, Juhabach was their grandfather which meant that someday he would attempt to take them. He wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't let his sisters be taken hostage and forced into his service.

'_Please protect Soul Society, Kurosaki Ichigo'_

Those were the final words that Byakuya had given him and he refused to break his promise even though he had never replied out loud. He swore to himself that he would honour Byakuya's request. He would protect Soul Society, he would protect his friends and most importantly he would protect his family.

He was unaware that a faint blue aura of Reiatsu had begun to surround his body and with a large heave he yelled, "I need your power Zangetsu!"

The instant the sword shifted, it exploded in blue Reiatsu and Ichigo was sent flying out of the shattered shaft and skidded along the ground.

"What just happened?" Ichigo asked himself painfully as he stood up and with his free left hand brushed off some of the dirt and dust that was stuck on him. He looked at the weapon in his right hand and his eyes widened when he saw it was just the handle and the guard. It had no blade.

"This is..." Ichigo said in realisation, "The sword that I had before I learnt Zangetsu's name."

"That is correct Ichigo." 

Ichigo looked towards the smoke that covered the hole sharply as he heard the familiar voice and his eyes widened when old man Zangetsu appeared. He looked the same as he did the last time Ichigo saw him and in his right hand he wielded a familiar sword. The Zanpakutō was in the shape of an oversized elegant cleaver, it had no tsuba and no proper hilt the handle was wrapped in cloth. It had a black blade with a silver edge.

"Zangetsu-ossan." Ichigo said in a mixture of relief and happiness.

Those feelings vanished immediately when Zangetsu vanished in a burst of Shunpo and Ichigo felt movement behind him and instinctively brought his broken blade up to defend. He spun around and tried to block the slash from Zangetsu but all he succeeded in doing was having the broken sword's handle cut in half, becoming even more useless. Zangetsu then followed up by backhanding Ichigo in the face and sent him crashing into a nearby boulder.

Ichigo removed the rubble that had collapsed on top of him with a loud groan and got back to his feet looking at his Zanpakutō spirit in confusion, "What was that for?"

Zangetsu didn't reply and instead raised his sword in the air and slashed it downwards and released a large blue crescent wave of Reiatsu at Ichigo. Ichigo froze for a moment as he watched the incoming attack carve up the ground below it before he regained his senses and rolled out of the way and successfully dodged it.

"Why?"

Ichigo frowned at Zangetsu's question, "What do you mean?"

Zangetsu glared at him causing Ichigo to flinch and the Zanpakutō spirit asked angrily, "You've had Shinigami powers for over two weeks... so why is only now that you have come looking for me?!"

Ichigo looked away unable to meet Zangetsu's hardened gaze and hesitated.

"Answer me!"

"I thought you were gone!" Ichigo shouted before taking a couple of deep breaths and explained, "Since you stabbed me with your sword and gave me the power to use the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, I that you were gone forever. I thought your power had completely merged with me and I thought it even further when you didn't appear when I got my powers back. It wasn't until Aizen told me that I didn't have my true powers back did I realise. I'm sorry Zangetsu-ossan."

Zangetsu stared at him for several moments determined to see if he was lying at all but saw in Ichigo's eyes that he was completely sincere. He sighed and relaxed his stance slightly, "I guess I can understand your position somewhat. Now tell me what has happened since you used the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho. I haven't been aware of anything for a long time."

Ichigo went on to explain everything that had happened since he lost his powers up until now. At the end of his explanation, Zangetsu concluded, "It seems learning the truth about your birth and the prospect of gaining your power back completely as vaporised the water that had engulfed this world."

"So will we fight together once again, ossan?"

"No." Zangetsu told him bluntly, "I can't just give you my power this time Ichigo."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked confused.

"I'm sure you noticed the change in your inner world." Zangetsu explained, "When you used the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, you did more than just lose your powers, you in fact shattered your soul."

"Shattered my soul?" Ichigo asked baffled, "What're you talking about?"

"Your Hollow and I are pieces of your soul, we represent your power. Since you lost your powers, we no longer represented anything and were sent into the depths of your remaining soul. Tell me Ichigo... before you gained your Shinigami powers and when you lost them, did you ever feel complete? Or did you always feel there was something missing? You were miserable without them weren't you Ichigo."

Ichigo thought back to his life before Rukia came barging in and after his mother's death, he had to admit, it had been rather dull. Most of the time he had just been going through the motions of life, don't get him wrong, he loved spending time with his friends and family but he didn't have much of a purpose. He had no plans for wanted to be in the future.

When Rukia gave him her powers, he found a purpose. He enjoyed the power at his disposal and he was proud that he was able to protect innocent people.

However the war against Aizen had taken its toll on him, having to constantly train and fight dampened his spirit for gaining power. So at the time, he had been forced to learn the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, he didn't think much on the thought of losing his Shinigami powers. In fact, he was ashamed to admit, he threw his powers away without hesitation in order to defeat Aizen.

He was ashamed to admit he enjoyed the first month without his powers; he didn't have to worry about Hollows or having to help Soul Society with any of their problems. Also since his dad had his own powers, he could depend on him to protect Karin and Yuzu and he could depend on Inoue, Ishida and Chad to protect Karakura.

It was after that first month that everything changed. He became the only one in the family that couldn't see spirits, of course Yuzu could only see the outlines but it was better than nothing. His relationship with his friends had changed, with Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro; it had been for the better since he could spend more time with them. With Inoue, Ishida and Chad however, it was not so much, in fact they had become somewhat distant. It turned out he could relate to how Tatsuki and the others felt at the mystery's between him and his three friends, now he was on the outside.

The more months that flew by, the more he missed his powers and finally, after 17 months of being powerless, Kūgo Ginjo offered him a way. At first, surprisingly he was hesitant, did he really want to be thrown back into the fold, fighting for his life and constantly training to get stronger since he kept on encountering powerful foes?

It was funny how things work sometimes, despite longing for his powers for months, and when he had a way to get them back, he hesitated. Perhaps in his mind he had never really believed that there was a way for him to get it back and so he couldn't help but long for it. The actual reality of being able to be a Shinigami again had actually made him stop and think about it. But when Yuzu got attacked by a Hollow and he had been powerless to help her, it changed everything. It was Kūgo Ginjo that had come to the rescue.

He had realised that he couldn't depend on others to protect the ones that he cared about and so he finally accepted when he truly wanted to be; a Shinigami.

"Am I right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah you're right."

"You are half human, half spirit Ichigo." Zangetsu told him, "When you used the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, you became just half human. The other half had you had been shattered and sealed away, the pieces that made up your power, Shikai, Bankai, Hollowfication, they have all separated and you have to put them back together."

"And how do I do that?" Ichigo questioned.

Zangetsu smirked, "That's simple... defeat me and claim it!"

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?!" Ichigo spluttered, "I have no power for some reason, my borrowed Shinigami powers suddenly vanished."

"Of course they did Ichigo." Zangetsu explained patiently, "You came here to get your own back didn't you? When you entered this room, your Reiatsu subconsciously found mine and so your powers vanished so you can get your own once again. You can't use borrowed powers and mine at the same time."

Ichigo frowned confused, "But didn't I start using yours when Rukia gave me her power. That time against the Menos Grande and against Renji, didn't you help me?"

Zangetsu shook his head, "No that wasn't me. All the Reiatsu you were using from the beginning was the power you got from Rukia and your lack of Reiatsu control is why the weapon was so big. Those two incidents you mention were when you unlocked your own Reiatsu, not mine."

"You still haven't answered my initial question." Ichigo pointed out, "How am I supposed to defeat you?"

"Whenever you fight someone Ichigo..." Zangetsu told him slightly irritable, "Do you tell them how to defeat you?"

Ichigo remained silent refusing to say the obvious answer to that question, making him feel like a total idiot for even starting this conversation in the first place.

"That's what I thought Ichigo." Zangetsu answered as he rested his sword on his shoulder looking at Ichigo with narrowed eyes, "You better figure it out within the next minute Ichigo or I am going to attack you and unfortunately kill you!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, "What do you mean kill me? Didn't you want to protect me?"

Zangetsu shook his head, "Those questions aren't for me to answer Ichigo. If you want those answers then defeat me and go find the one who will answer them!"

The orange haired Shinigami nodded in acceptance before thinking hard on how he was supposed to defeat his Zanpakutō when he didn't have any of his Shinigami or Hollow powers. The only other power he had ever used apart from his Shinigami or Hollow's was his Fullbring but that had been taken by Ginjo.

So then why did he have his Substitute Shinigami Badge with him in his soul form? Urahara did tell him after the battle with Ginjo that the remnants of his Fullbring had been incorporated into his Shinigami powers.

Looking at the Zanpakutō in Zangetsu's hands, he noticed that it was the same one he had used back before he used the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho. So if Zangetsu didn't have the remnants of his Fullbring then was it possible that he had them?

He grabbed his badge and yanked it off the rope that it was attached too, removing it from his waist and focused on summoning the power of the badge. He grinned when he felt the badge respond to the call and he was engulfed by blue Reiatsu.

Ichigo found himself in the standard Shinigami attire that he normally wore when in Shikai but he had four black vertical lines on his forearms and black, tattoo-like bands crossing over his chest, wrists, and ankles. Similar bands, but with white ends, were around his neck as collars. His Badge grew a medium-sized black machete-like blade with a silver edge and round hilt with a simple white cloth-wrapping and flat base. The badge itself became the guard, with a new black-cross marking on it.

"So you figured it out then Ichigo." Zangetsu spoke up seeing his former wielded activate his Fullbring, "The Fullbring that was stolen from you, only took away the ability to use it in your human form. The power of your Fullbring was imprinted on your spiritual body despite how weak it was at the time. Now Ichigo, come and reclaim my power."

Ichigo didn't waste any time and charged towards Zangetsu and swung his sword against Zangetsu's formidable Zanpakutō.

**Kurosaki residence**

Isshin frowned as he watched his son in the Jinzen position; it didn't surprise him when his clothes suddenly changed from his Bankai's into a white Shihakushō. He remembered that he had been forced into one when he tried to get his own powers back.

He sighed heavily, perhaps he should have told Ichigo what he had to do in order to get his powers back but he wasn't sure if it would be the same. Engetsu had no problem giving back his Shikai to him, but Tensa Engetsu on the other hand was furious with him for sacrificing his powers. He had to end up fighting his Bankai only using Shikai in one of the most brutal fights of his life, with Tensa Engetsu trying to kill him.

He somehow managed to pull off the win and regained the right to use his Bankai and later discovered that if he had lost, he wouldn't have died, but instead, he would never be able to use Bankai again. The Saigo no Getsuga Tensho was the final form of the Zanpakutō and more importantly, the forbidden release of the Zanpakutō. Every Zanpakutō had this release and it could only be gained through the completion of Jinzen. All Zanpakutō loathed this release, no matter how hard you trained or how great your Reiatsu control was; this release would always cost the Shinigami their powers. The Zanpakutō understood why their Shinigami needed the technique but to them, it was their greatest shame.

Isshin's eyes narrowed when Ichigo's body was suddenly engulfed in blue Reiatsu that came from his badge that was attached to his hip and his appearance changed startling his father. He had the same attire on as he did when in Shikai and the badge had changed into a sword that was on his lap.

"That sword is his Fullbring..." Isshin muttered in contemplation before his eyes widened, "That must mean he has to fight Zangetsu in order to just to get his Shikai... I wonder why?"

He couldn't believe that Ichigo had to fight his Shikai as well as his Bankai. Fighting against Tensa Engetsu was one of his most dreadful experiences, and so if Zangetsu was pissed enough to fight Ichigo, he was alarmed at just how angry Tensa Zangetsu must be.

Isshin blinked suddenly as he remembered another vital component to Ichigo's soul that he had forgotten; his Inner Hollow.

"Oh fuck..." Isshin muttered sadly, "You need to be strong Ichigo, you're in more danger than you realise. I don't know what will happen if you lose to your Hollow this time."

**Inner World**

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Zangetsu battered the small crescent wave of blue Reiatsu that Ichigo had fired from his sword. Firing a Getsuga Tensho from the Fullbring was much different than one in Shikai; it was much smaller and nowhere near as powerful but it made up for it with its speed. Still using Zangetsu's own technique against him was totally ineffective.

"That won't work Ichigo." Zangetsu told him before shunpoing behind Ichigo and slashed at his head but Ichigo brought his blade up to block the attack but in doing so. He skidded back a few metres from the force.

"What's the matter Ichigo?" Zangetsu asked, "You seem to be struggling to keep up."

Ichigo panted slightly and wiped away some sweat leaking down his forehead and tightened his grip on his sword. He was getting nowhere fast; every move attack he made was easily countered by Zangetsu.

Zangetsu shot towards Ichigo again holding his sword over his head and brought it down and Ichigo blocked it with his own blade but he felt his knees buckle under the might of Zangetsu's power. He was so focused on blocking Zangetsu's strike that he didn't notice Zangetsu bring his left foot back before kicking Ichigo hard in the stomach.

"Damn it." Ichigo muttered as he picked himself up of the ground rubbing his ribs slightly after he was set sailing from the kick, "How am I supposed to beat him? He is so much stronger."

"You can't beat me like this Ichigo." Zangetsu informed him, "You're fighting me like you are using your Shinigami powers. You are using Fullbring, now adjust accordingly."

Ichigo panted as he thought about what Zangetsu-ossan said, fighting like a Fullbringer instead of a Shinigami, and how was he supposed to do that. He focused on the sword, it was much smaller than Zangetsu so that meant it was less powerful, getting into a blade lock against his Zanpakutō was suicide.

He thought back to his fight with Tsukishima and remembered that his strength using Fullbring was similar to his Bankai's greatest attribute; speed. He needed to get inside Zangetsu-ossan's guard, it was his best chance, and he remembered that fighting against quick opponents in his Shikai was always a problem. It had been difficult to wield such a large sword.

Focusing his Reiatsu, he sprung high into the air with a small trail of green light beneath his feet showing that he used Bringer's Light and fired a Getsuga at his Zanpakutō spirit. Zangetsu calmly battered it aside with his free hand easily before spinning around and slashing at the presence behind him.

The old man was surprised however when he cut through one of propeller-like blasts, realising that he had been baited he shunpoed away but not before he was slashed in the waist. With his free arm, he grabbed his wound but he didn't have much to time to get a breather as another Getsuga headed straight towards him.

He quickly retaliated by throwing his own Getsuga which completely enveloped Ichigo's but suddenly Ichigo appeared to Zangetsu's left, sword raised above his head and brought it downwards. Zangetsu quickly brought up his sword to block it but just before the blades connected, in a burst of green light, Ichigo vanished.

Suddenly Zangetsu was surrounded by several afterimages of Ichigo and the old man closed his eyes and felt out where the real Ichigo's location was. Eyes snapping open he swung his sword to his right, a blow that would have taken Ichigo's head off if it connected but to Zangetsu's shocked it was blocked. Zangetsu's eyes widened when he saw Ichigo block his sword with his own, but this time, Ichigo wasn't sent back because of the power difference. The reason for this was because Ichigo's smaller blade was currently coated in blue Reiatsu.

Instead of firing the Getsuga Tensho, Ichigo kept it contained in his blade to make up the difference in power and quickly pushed Zangetsu's sword away. He followed up by swiping Zangetsu's torso quicker than Zangetsu could react and unleashed the pent up Reiatsu from his blade and it sliced through his Zanpakutō spirit.

Zangetsu slid back a few metres, his chest had a large diagonal gash from his right shoulder to his left hip and he collapsed onto his knees in defeat. His sword fell from his hand, "Finish me and re-claim my power Ichigo!"

Ichigo putting all of his faith into Zangetsu, he quickly dash forward and stabbed his sword through the old man's chest. Zangetsu grunted in pain for a moment before his body exploded in blue Reiatsu that enveloped Ichigo as well.

When the dust and Reiatsu cleared, it revealed Ichigo back in his old Shinigami attire before he lost his powers initially and the Zanpakutō in his hand was the same as the one he used against Kūgo Ginjo.

"Your Fullbring has completely merged with your Shinigami powers now." A familiar voice said behind him.

Ichigo turned to see Zangetsu standing no worse for wear with a small smile on his face, "You've passed the first step Ichigo."

"Thanks, ossan." Ichigo said gratefully and then asked curiously, "By the way, what happened to the tattoos and other accessories?"

Zangetsu shrugged and said truthfully, "They were unnecessary."

The orange haired Shinigami gave his Zanpakutō spirit a blank look and asked, "That's it?"

"I have my pride Ichigo, and they were pointless, so I got rid of them." Zangetsu retorted before changing the subject, "There isn't time to talk Ichigo, we have time to do that once your soul is put back together. You must re-claim your Bankai."

Ichigo nodded determined, "Where do I go to find Tensa Zangetsu?"

Zangetsu raised an eyebrow, "Isn't it obvious Ichigo? Go to the place where you first got the power to protect the ones you care about."

"Thanks Zangetsu." Ichigo said as he headed towards the exit but the stopped when he noticed Zangetsu wasn't moving. "Are you coming Zangetsu-ossan?"

Zangetsu shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid not Ichigo, I've got no choice but to merge back with Tensa Zangetsu now that you have gained your Shikai back. This fight, you will be on your own. Now go Ichigo!"

Ichigo nodded and left the training area. Once he was gone, Zangetsu began to disintegrate but before he completely faded and merged with Tensa Zangetsu he said, "I was disappointed in you Ichigo. That is why I fought you instead of just giving you back my power. But Ichigo, if you thought it was tough fighting me, then you're in big trouble against Tensa Zangetsu. The sheer rage he has for you is terrifying, so prepare for one of the toughest battles of your life."

**You like it, Review it. Don't like it, don't read it. See areas that need improvement, Review it and tell me.**

**I'm sorry if this is going at such a slow pace, I'm sure you are all eager just to get into the Time-Travelling, but I assure you it won't be long. There will be two more chapters focusing on Ichigo regaining his powers and then followed by one more for Ichigo to say goodbye to his friends. So that means that chapter 7 will be Ichigo going back in time. I hope that isn't too much trouble for everyone.**

**Answering the Readers:**

_**Q:**__ When Ichigo and friends go back in time, will there be a chance the Ichigo would have half of the Arrancars in Aizen's army to join his side to help in the upcoming war with the Quincy?_

_**A:**__ Unlike in canon, the Arrancar and more importantly the Espada won't just be cannon fodder. They will have a large role to play. As for them joining Ichigo... I can't say._

_**Q:**__ You said that Ichigo, Rukia and Renji will go back in order to stop Juhabach and such, but what about Aizen? Will they stop him before or is there some twist and Aizen somehow pulled back into the past with them?_

_**A:**__ Aizen will have a big role to play. If they think it will be easy to stop him, then they are seriously mistaken. With Aizen's intelligence and cunning, if he even gets a sniff that they are up to something, then he will adjust accordingly. As for Aizen being pulled into the past along with them... I'm going to keep that to myself._

_**Q:**__ Cool an update, although what could truly be worse than Juhabach or Aizen (or is Aizen the one that is worse)?_

_**A:**__ Both Aizen and Juhabach are extremely dangerous in their own way. I think Juhabach's strength is superior to Aizen's before he fused with the Hōgyoku, but Aizen's intelligence makes up for that along with his Zanpakutō. Then again, does Aizen still have his Zanpakutō? Got to wait and see. The threat is not so much a villain they have to defeat... it's more preventing it from appearing. If it appears... then they're pretty much dead._

_**Q:**__ When Ichigo regains his powers, how will you handle his transcendental state? Will Ichigo have his lower state and be able to go into transcendental form, at will (like how he has Shikai and Bankai as separate forms he can use)? Will he only be transcendental in Bankai? Will his Shikai look any different or just the Bankai? Will he be permanently in a transcendental state? Will transcendental Ichigo still be able to call upon his Hollow mask and full Hollow form or will it be like a Mystic Gohan type thing?_

_**A:**__ His transcendental form is an interesting topic, I can't say much without giving it away, but he won't be able to go straight into it if he gets all of his powers back. The form he used against Aizen, I'm thinking that it was just a quick fix because he used the 'forbidden release' that I introduced in this chapter. So he will have to learn how to become a true transcendental. There will be a better explanation for in the next few chapters._

_**Q:**__ Moreover, to see Ichigo go to the Shinigami Academy at the same time as Rukia and Renji will be interesting. Will they keep their memories?_

_**A:**__ Yes._

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**GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIII IIIMMMMMMMMMJJJJJJJJJOOOOOOO OOOWWWWWWWW!**

**YES, YES, YES, GRIMMY IS BACK!**

**Ganju looks badass as well, he is really bulked up and he is training the dead Fullbringers, now that really surprised me. It looks like Isshin is Ganju's uncle, so Shiba Isshin... I thought as much.**

**Have to say, the Royal Realm looks pretty awesome!**


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